News

Dismantling White Supremacy

Posted by knetzler on Aug 14, 2017

We at BRIDGES are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives in Charlottesville, Va., over the past weekend and sickened by the brazen displays of hatred, bigotry and violence perpetrated by white supremacists there.

As we process our emotions, however, we must also remember that words are only a starting point. Express your grief and anger on social media. Use the hashtags, share powerful messages, and sign the petitions. Initiate courageous conversations with your loved ones, colleagues and classmates about hate speech and violence and its impact on you as an individual and on our collective society.

But do not make the mistake of stopping there, thinking you’ve done enough.

The responsibility of confronting and dismantling racism belongs to us all, and that work requires not just talk, but action. These threats, this brutality—they are not new. And the individuals espousing these beliefs are not confined to the foothills of Virginia. There is so much work to be done right here at home.

We must intentionally seek out opportunities to stand together, rooted in our fundamental belief in human equality. We must never allow fear, hatred and violence divide our community. We must tear down these barriers and build bridges.

“Racial literacy is not about acquiring the words to have a ‘conversation on race’—which too often stay at the level of anecdote and sentiment. Racial literacy is developing an historical and sociological toolkit to understand how we got here and how it could’ve been/can be otherwise.”

Click to read “How Two Teenagers Created A Textbook For Racial Literacy.”